This invention relates to snow removal equipment and more particularly to a simple snow removal blade and assembly for attachment to heavy equipment normally used for other purposes.
As is known, heavy equipment, such as that used for the grading of roadways and associated shoulders, is quite costly and, mostly, has a limited period of usage, depending on the season, the weather and/or particular working conditions. The expense involvement is such that an important significance of the invention is to afford a more yearly usage of the road grading equipment, i.e. not only in the instance of scarifying and earth moving or grading, but for the removal of snow, as well.
Accordingly, the invention provides a multipurpose year-round usage of the heavy equipment, serving not only to justify overall initial purchase expenditures, but also spreading both positive earth/snow working results. Briefly, the invention envisions the removal of the conventional scarifier blade found on a typical road grader. In one invention form, the power arms which formerly controlled upward and downward movement of the scarifier blade are connected to linkage which is a part of the framework for the snow attachment arrangement, or, in the alternative, the lifting arms for the scarifier blade may be moved forwardly of the aforesaid power arms and directly connected to the device of the invention.
In other words, the inventive device functions with the hydraulic control system already available on the grading equipment. Additionally, cooperating pin and opening arrangements, on arms connecting the snow removal blade mounting framework in a telescopic relationship, serve to position the angular setting of the snow blade relative to the linear axis of the grading equipment for the desired end usage. Moreover, the invention may be used in combination with the grader blade, where the latter is powered independently of the system provided for the instant attachment, i.e. that which formerly served lowering and lifting purposes for the scarifier blade. In any event, the aforesaid hydraulic power systems are conventional in form and, for this reason, are not detailed herein.